Something Borrowed
by Spongewolf
Summary: Going through her old clothes, Serena comes across something she had tried to forget. Based on the prompt "old clothing."
1. Something Borrowed P1

It felt as if every day my closet would get more and more filled with new clothes. At first, I would cycle through the same clothes every other day or so, but after the boutiques started offering Champion discounts, I got a little carried away. I would never get caught wearing the same outfit twice in a row, and to keep that up, my wardrobe kept getting larger. Unfortunately, my closet remained the same size.

Surely, my friends would have said something to me if I had gone a little too far in my shopping sprees, but we're no longer the young teenagers that first started out on their journey in Aquacorde. My friends have all grown up and gone off to do new things. While I've been doing Champion battles, everyone moved to Sinnoh for some reason or another. Calem left first to take on the Pokemon League because he heard the region champion there was especially challenging, Shauna chased after him and became a coordinator, Tierno started his dancing troupe, and Trevor left for research.

And there I was, curiously enough, the only one who was still in Kalos. Instead of my old friends, I had old clothes.

One day, Mom finally confronted me on the absurd amount of clothes in my room- I ran out of room in my closet, so it was impossible to step on my floor or find something on my desk without digging through the hoard of fabrics. It had become an everyday occurrence to kick away clothes to create a clear path to get from my door to my bedroom, but once Mom mentioned it, I came to realize that kicking away one dress only disrupted a new pile of skirts.

"Serena, honestly, are these clothes sentimental to you in any way?" she asked, lowering her eyebrows.

I shook my head. "No, not especially. Why else would they be lying on the floor?"

"That's what _I'd_ like to know," she quipped, resting her hand on her forehead. "Look, Serena, I don't mind you buying clothes. You have the money for it, obviously, and it's nice to look good and all... but you can't even walk in your room anymore." I looked towards the floor, but there was no floor to be seen... only clothes. She was absolutely right.

"I don't care what you do with it. I'd suggest separating what you want and don't want first." As Mom turned to leave, she tripped over a fluffy pink skirt and had to grab the door to avoid falling. Holding on tighter to the door, she quickly turned to me with a stern blink of her eyes that made me shiver. "Sell it, donate it, I don't care! Just clear up some space in here!"

"Mooooom," I whined, "do you _know_ how long that'll take?"

"Serena, you're not a teenager anymore, so quit acting like one." And without even looking at me, she attempted to shut the door, only to leave it ajar. It had been stopped by a mound of long-sleeved shirts and jean shorts.

Mom was right about that, too. Since I was still the champion in Kalos, I had no real reason to move away other than being twenty-one years old. Sometimes I wondered why I didn't just resign and go to Sinnoh to try and meet up with all my friends. I stretched out on my bed, but sat up straight for a moment when I realized I was lying on a scratchy blue shirt. Throwing it on the floor, I lied on the comforter for a few moments before I came to accept that the clothes swamp wasn't going to clear itself.

* * *

I started with the floor clothes on the right side of my bed. As I dug, I decided to start to look for clothes that actually caught my eye. In doing so, I first noticed the red pleated skirt that I wore when I first started my journey with my friends.

 _"I'll never understand what was wrong with wearing the same outfit..."_

I remembered a voice from years ago, but I couldn't put my finger on who it came from. It made me look at the skirt a little differently, though. I wondered if I could even fit in it anymore. Even so, it started a pile on my bed of clothes to keep, followed by the collared top I always wore with it and the thigh high socks to match. I already got afraid that I wasn't going to get rid of anything until I shuffled through the clothes that were underneath. The clothes would not match the season at all, and some of them were too small for me to still fit in, so beginning a pile to do whatever I chose with was not that difficult.

The only difficulty from that point was deciding just _what_ to do with the clothes I didn't plan to keep. Do I sell them? Give them away? I wasn't completely detached from some, and there were others that I could learn to live without. If I did move to Sinnoh, I could have had more space for clothes.

 _"Is your image really that important to you?"_

Another voice found its way into my thoughts, somewhere from my memory, and yet I still couldn't recall who it came from. Disregarding it, I decided to worry instead about having a clear space on the floor where I could place the "tentative" pile to sort later.

Under the dresser, there was a pastel pink dress with a frilly skirt. I remembered there was a pale white shrug to match it, but where that shrug could be was lost on me. I had somewhat of an attachment to this dress, as it was the first boutique dress I had ever purchased. However, after holding the dress up in front of me and gazing at the mirror, I realized I was shorter back then, as the dress didn't even cover my thighs. What would I do with this dress, though?

I could give it to Shauna, I thought. She loves pink clothes. I had to remind myself that she was also grown just like I was; she must be taller, maybe taller than me. I remembered right before my friends had left how Trevor suddenly shot up in height and towered over me, so it was very plausible. It would be a nice sentiment, sure, to let her know that I hadn't forgotten about her, or any of my other friends that I journeyed with for that matter.

But what would Shauna have done with that dress? If she couldn't fit in it, it would've probably lied on the floor like it was then. Into the tentative pile it went.

Some skirts, socks, and shirts found their way into my hands, and unless I could convince myself that there was no way I'd wear it again or that it wouldn't fit me anymore, it ended up in the keeping pile. Finally, there was enough space for me to transfer the tentative clothes onto a spot on the floor where I wouldn't get it confused with clothes I hadn't looked at yet. Feeling accomplished, it was clearly time for a break.

A brief break to go downstairs and drink some juice turned into twenty minutes of indecision. I looked at Shauna's name on the Holo Caster, the contact picture of her with Calem, giving a peace sign. The picture was taken a year after we started the journey. When was the last time I had contacted her, anyway? Would it be weird if I called her just to chat? Looking at Calem, Tierno and Trevor's names didn't help the uncertainty I felt in that moment.

With the excuse to tell her about the pink dress, I pushed Shauna's name on the Holo Caster, and the hologram appeared, reading _Dialing Shauna_. Each second that passed made me feel more and more anxious. After a minute, the hologram read _Shauna could not be reached_. A message that, unfortunately, I forgot I had gotten used to a year after my friends had left. Why I could never seem to contact them, I couldn't remember, but before the hologram could familiarly ask me if I wanted to leave a message, I shut off the Holo Caster.

Mom walked into the room. "Oh? Did you take care of it?" Looked like she was in a better mood than before.

"I've started two piles so far," I responded, hoping that another sip of the cold juice could calm down the anxiety I felt in seeing my old friends' names on my contact list. "There's at least a clear spot on the floor right now, but obviously I still have more to do."

Mom noticed the device laying on the table next to me. "Your Holo Caster?" she asked. "Who called you?"

"Oh, no one."

* * *

I truly underestimated just how many clothes I had accumulated over the years. I had to take the couch to sleep for a couple days, as there was nowhere for me to store the clothes I wanted to keep. Instead, the clothes I especially liked piled onto my bed while the ones where I would choose what to do with later created a high pile in the corner of my bedroom. As the piles got bigger, I could see my floor. I questioned just how long it had been since I had a somewhat clear floor, as I had forgotten how a purple rug laid on it.

Days would pass, and the piles got bigger, until the only clothes on the floor were the ones in the pile. Even though I had a clean floor and a cleared desk, I thought, why stop there? There won't be any room in my closet to put away the clothes I wanted to keep. I would have to clean it out, too, and while I was at it, I would check my dresser for clothes.

While I worked, occasionally I'd still hear those vaguely familiar voices. When I sorted through the pile of tentative clothes to decide what would be sold and what could be given away or donated, they came back to me a little more frequently than when I first started this great clothing cleanup. It bothered me how I couldn't remember what this specifically came from and who had been speaking to me at the time.

I went through my closet, finding a blue long sleeve shirt in a certain shade that reminded me of Calem's jacket that he used to wear.

 _"I see you chose fashion over us."_

Into the keeping pile.

Through the brightly colored clothes and somber ones, I also found an icy blue skirt, the color of a Vanillite. It made me think of the Vanillite design that was happily resting on the front of Tierno's shirt that he had worn almost every day.

 _"So what if I wore it every day? I like the shirt!"_

Into the keeping pile.

How odd it had been that I remembered that phrase when I thought of Tierno. Could it have been him that said that me? Maybe, but the voice felt so strange to me, nothing like Tierno's hearty, friendly voice at all. Maybe it was a trend for the clothes that made me think of my friends to trigger these vague voices. As I shifted through more clothes in the closet, I tried to think less and less of my friends whenever I came across certain clothes. My thoughts were simplified to _keep, don't keep, keep, don't keep._

* * *

After having the closet cleaned out, including the boxes of clothes on the floor of it, I had enough room to hang up some of the clothes I intended to hold on to. Next was the dresser.

I had to put the barrier on my thoughts once more so I could quickly go through the clothes in my dresser with minimal hassle from the vague voices that tried to call to me. As much as I wanted to remember where they came from, I just couldn't do it. It got to the point where it hurt to try and think about it.

However, the dresser had other plans for me. When I opened the first drawer, the very first article of clothing was a neatly folded teal sweater vest with a Pokeball-motif shirt pocket.

Trevor?

Strangely, no vague voice penetrated my mind upon seeing the vest, despite not only being something that would remind me of him- it was literally _his_ vest.

Not to mention that I remembered specifically how I had the vest in the first place. I came ill prepared to Snowbelle City on one occasion, so Trevor had lent it to me. I didn't remember, though, why I had never returned it. Not even giving it a sniff, which still smelled of him, elicited any memory, and still did not make me hear another voice. My brain must have been playing a joke. Since Trevor never was one to talk much, it wouldn't generate another indistinguishable voice for me.

Instead of holding the vest up to me in the mirror, I slipped it on over my shirt. Of course, it was too small, and I felt constricted. I could keep it, maybe, but I wouldn't be able to wear it. After all, I could remember the taller Trevor from a few years before, and how the vest wouldn't be able to fit him, either. In attempting the take the vest off, I knew that there was no way I could give it away.

I could give it back to him.

He wouldn't have to wear it, but he might at least appreciate that I gave it back, albeit years later. How long have I had it? Would it be strange to bring it up now? I remembered the anxiety I felt when Shauna failed to pick up the Holo Caster from a few days ago, and my failed attempts to contact any of them before that. Even though I felt a lump in my throat, I couldn't let it get the best of me. A chance to see Trevor and the rest of my friends with a legitimate reason had finally surfaced.

I decided I didn't care if he would find it weird that I held on to it for so long. I was going to give it back no matter what. Even though I already took enough time off from my Champion post, even though I hadn't the slightest clue _where_ in Sinnoh Trevor or the others lived, I would do it.

Before I left Kalos, I told the Elite Four of my extended leave, and they weren't pleased. Their disagreement worsened once I told them why I was leaving in the first place. Threatened with Diantha reclaiming her former Champion position, I told them that they could do whatever they'd like if I was not back in a week's time.

Next on the agenda was to ask Trevor's sister where her younger brother could possibly be. She looked considerably older than what I could remember; her hair was shorter and her eyes a little narrower. She told me I could find him in Jubilife City, and as I thanked her, she stopped me in the doorway.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"I'm certain," I responded. "It's been a while since I've seen them!"

"Alright then, if you're sure," she said before I shut the door. What a weird question, I mused to myself as I stepped on the plane to Sinnoh.

 _"What were you thinking?"_

* * *

When the plane touched down in the Jubilife airport, it was two in the morning. I would have to find somewhere to stay, if only I could keep my eyes open long enough. The brisk air of Sinnoh hit me when I first stepped out of the airport. I had brought along some of the clothes I had chosen to keep, including the first outfit I wore on my journey, but I doubted any of them would keep me warm. Not many people were outside, as most of the cars moving around were surely trying to find their way home. Maybe I had kept the vest in case I were to go to Sinnoh.

As long as I kept the timezone difference in mind between Kalos and Sinnoh, I could make it back in time safely after about a week of rekindling the friendships I must have lost a few years ago. Trying to keep the positive thinking, all that was left to do was find a hotel to stay in.

 _"What were you thinking?"_

I moved a little bit faster, as if to run away from the voice. This one felt the most familiar of all, and yet I couldn't remember who said it. I had just about enough of these phrases by now.

 _"Is your image really..."_

I picked up the pace.

 _"I see you chose fashion-"_

At this point, I was running. I could feel the stares of the few passerby that were outside, as it looked like I had been running from nothing. What else was I to do with these voices I couldn't place my finger on?

I thought I could stop as soon as I started to run out of breath, but instead, my running was halted when I blindly collided into one of the passerby.

Before I could even think to apologize, I suddenly blurted "Oh, _Arceus!_ " out of embarrassment. The person seemed more shocked by my outburst than that he had just been ran into. "I'm so sorry," I added, offering a hand to help him up.

Something about his hand felt significant. Then I saw his face.

"Serena?" he asked, his gray eyes widening.

"Trevor!" I stood up almost immediately, sending Trevor upwards on his feet. "You're exactly the person I was hoping to see! I-"

The redhead cut me off. "W-When did you get here? How long have you been here? If I'd known..."

"I just got here," I answered. "I just got off the plane maybe twenty minutes ago. Right now I'm looking for a hotel." It had been so long since I had seen him that I wanted to catch up before I gave him the vest. "What one would you recommend? Preferably not that pricey?"

Trevor looked like he was struggling. Scratching the back of his neck as he faced the ground, it sounded like he was saying something. I asked him to repeat himself, and he looked at me with a rosy face and said, "If it's no problem, you could stay over until you find somewhere to go."

Somehow, I had been handed the perfect opportunity. Miraculously, Trevor happened to be outside at two o' clock in the morning and I was granted time to speak with him longer. "Thanks. I'd really appreciate that."

As he lead me to his house, I noticed how much he'd changed. He had gotten taller since I last saw him, probably taller than Calem had been. His hair was cut to where you could see he had a jawbone, but he still had those bangs that tried to fall over his eyes. He grew a little lankier, and had a five o' clock shadow. He told me about how his research was going until we had arrived at his apartment- a humble place, but he called it home.

He directed me to the room where his bed was and volunteered to take the sofa before I could say anything. I rolled my suitcase into his room and, as I unzipped it to find some pajamas, all the clothes collapsed onto the floor. I had gotten sick of seeing clothes scattered everywhere at this point, but seeing the sweater vest among the clothes made me realize what convinced me to travel to Sinnoh in the first place.

"Trevor!" I stomped into the main room, making him jolt as he was placing a sheet over the sofa cushions. "Uh, the reason why I came here... well, the main reason..."

 _"What were you thinking?"_

This voice pounded in my head more than the others did. It made my head ache, and I couldn't finish my sentence.

"Serena, are you okay?"

I shook it off. "Dandy." I walked over to him and let the sweater vest do the talking.

"This is..." His eyes softened as he held the vest in his hands, and he cracked a little smile. "I gave this to you in Snowbelle City." He chuckled. "Well, thank you for returning it after all these years... but I have to wonder, why did you hold onto it for so long?"

"Funny story," I said as I sat on the armrest of the sofa. "There was literally nowhere in my room to walk, so I started going through all my clothes, and I found your vest. That was what gave me the courage to come here after so long... to return it to you." I looked down at my feet, my cheeks flushing red. "I guess it was weird to hold onto it for so long, I really don't remember why I never gave it back..."

"You still held on to fashion?" he asked. I faced him to answer, but something was awfully familiar about the face he was making. It looked sad.

 _"..."_

It suddenly hit me. The reason why I never heard a voice when I first rediscovered Trevor's sweater vest wasn't because my brain was mocking me. He had been silent when _that_ happened, so there was no discouraging phrase for me to remember him saying.

Then I remembered what _that_ was in the first place, and I remembered that a different calling was not the sole reason that my friends had left for Sinnoh.

 _"What were you thinking?"_


	2. Something Borrowed P2

When I had first become Champion of Kalos, people commented on my different style choices. They complimented me on my choice of fashion, and whenever I would buy a piece of clothing from a boutique, dozens of other women would rush to get their own because "it was what Serena liked."

In the first year of being the champion, I was sixteen. At the time, I just really liked trying new things, and was flattered by all the attention I received from it. However, by the time I got to be eighteen, the attention that I went from appreciating to tolerating became very overbearing. Soon, the magazines talked about me more than usual, but instead of them asking the question of who I had battled today, it was a question of what I had been wearing at the time.

Arceus forbid they ever found me wearing the same outfit twice; they did once, and the article written of my "excruciating unoriginality" was scathing. I was only eighteen, and even if I liked fashion, I had been more concerned about my friends and my Pokemon, but apparently, magazines had really affected public opinion. Less people came to fight me, and when they did, they would be disappointed, saying they "expected something more" upon meeting the freaking _Champion_.

As a result, I bought more and more clothes. I made an effort to change it up every day, and the hobby that I used to enjoy became a chore in order to keep up a good public image. Almost nothing felt worse than being looked down on by trainers who thought they could beat me easily, and the only thing worse was when these magazines started to observe my friends.

I could remember the titles to some of their articles. _Why Would Stylish Serena Hang Out with These Slobs?_ or _They Wear The Same Thing Every Day!_ My friends soon got ear of this, and they knew that under no circumstances did I try to encourage these frustrating journalists to create such vicious articles. I never wanted my friends to get involved, especially since they had nothing to do with it.

In spite of this, my friends also began to affect my public image the way wearing a repeat outfit had, so I made what could have been the worst choice of my life: to leave them behind.

I don't know why I said it, oh, how I wish I could take it back! All I could say to them was "Well, you _do_ wear the same outfits every day."

 _"So what if I wore it every day?"_ Tierno yelled. " _I like the shirt!"_ It was a yell that I never thought could come from such a happy guy, which might have been why his voice felt unfamiliar to me just days before. Starting with Tierno, all the voices that I had painfully tried to subdue now had faces attached to them.

 _"I'll never understand what was wrong with wearing the same outfit,"_ Shauna had added. She looked especially upset, never expecting something like this from me. _"Is your image really that important to you?"_

 _"Yeah, I guess it is!"_ I had yelled, threatened by Tierno and Shauna's reactions. For some reason, I just couldn't accept that I was in the wrong. _"And if you can't respect that-"_

 _"I see you chose fashion over us."_ Calem looked disappointed, but his brows furrowed as he turned around. _"Let's get out of here, guys."_

I remembered how all of my friends spun around to follow Calem in a huff. All except for Trevor. His saddened face, glossy-eyed by the betrayal of his friend, pierced me in a way that there was nothing he could've said to make me feel worse. When Calem called to him, he had scurried to catch up.

The voice that sounded the most familiar was my own. It wasn't someone else asking me what I was thinking... it was me. What _was_ I thinking? I must not have been thinking at all. I must have restrained all of these memories for a reason, but the look on Trevor's face as he held on to his sweater vest made everything come back.

"D-did I say something wrong?!" he asked worriedly. His outburst made me break my chain of thought, and by the time I noticed, my cheeks were wet with tears. So I told him everything that was on my mind. What I had been too afraid to say, why I used the vest as an excuse, and how I must have come here to try and make up for what I had done three years ago.

He nodded and listened to everything I said, his somber face slowly softening as my mouth ran on and on. As his face stopped mimicking the one that had sparked all those memories, I was able to calm down and speak more clearly.

"Serena," he began the moment I finally ended my train of thought, "I had no idea that you had been thinking about this for three years. I-I thought..." His eye contact with me broke. "...I thought you were ignoring m- I mean us."

"I would never!" I rubbed my eyes. "I guess I tried to forget what I did, but I never did stop thinking about you guys. I tried to call Shauna the other day, actually, but she never picked up." With a nervous laugh, I asked him, "you all still have the same contact information on the Holo Caster, right?"

"Actually, I got a new one," Trevor responded. "We can add each other to it later. The only people I have on it right now are our friends, the professor and my sister. I was going to ask one of them if you still had the same number, but..."

"But what?"

"They said they had no idea, that you had never picked up the Holo Caster for them." For some reason, in saying this, he sounded like he wasn't sure what he was saying.

"Do they still have the same Holo Casters?"

"To my knowledge, yes. I have their old contact information in and I called them recently..." His perplexity got more evident. "So why would Shauna not..."

"They're still angry with me. They must be." I didn't even look at Trevor. What he said made me realize that they must have purposely not picked up the Holo Caster every time I had attempted to call.

"They must still be hurt by it," Trevor pondered aloud, "though I think being hurt by this for three years is a little petty."

"You're not still angry with me?"

Trevor looked at me seriously. "I was never angry with you. Never ever." There were those soft eyes again. "I was upset, of course. Upset for a long while. But I was never really angry. I eventually understood that those magazine people put you under pressure, and-"

"Pressure or not," I interjected, "it was still wrong of me to say such horrible things to you guys."

"Yes, it was." That was so like him; even though he often apologized over simple things, Trevor could still easily call someone out on their mistakes. "But seeing as you don't feel that way about fashion anymore and it _has_ been three years... it's about time we got back together as a group of five, right?"

* * *

First thing in the morning, Trevor had said, we would get ready to go see the three of them. He would call them on the Holo Caster and ask them to meet up with him at the restaurant near the Jubilife TV station.

"Wouldn't they refuse the moment you say that I'm with you?" I asked.

"Exactly why I'm going to fail to mention that."

The plane ride and crying over old memories had tired me out, because by the time I woke up and stumbled out of the bedroom, Trevor was already dressed, had cleared away the sheets and blankets from the sofa, and was making an easy breakfast.

"Don't worry," he said in lieu of _good morning_ , "I already contacted the three of them. They said they'd be up for it. 3 pm at the Dodrio Diner."

"How long have I been asleep?"

He laughed. "I'm not sure when you went to sleep, but it's 10:30 in the morning. I was thinking of going to wake you up, but earlier this morning when I went to get clothes, I forgot you were sleeping in there and it kind of scared me a bit." I laughed at the thought of Trevor being startled by me, but stopped when I realized it must've been because a girl was in his bed. Oops.

My changed reaction must have made him eager to change the subject. "Thank goodness I had enough pancake batter. Most of the time, I'm cooking for one person." He paused. "You like pancakes, right?"

"Who doesn't?" Still a little groggy, I pulled a stool out from under the kitchen counter and sat down. "So just regular pancakes or..."

He grinned. "Nanab berry pancakes."

 _"Arceus_ , yes!"

As three o' clock approached, I got ready. Everything was going to go well, I would tell myself, but as I recalled all those missed Holo Caster calls, my will started to crumble. When Trevor held the door open for me, I couldn't move.

Noticing my scared face, he walked back inside and shut the door. "Serena..." He paused, but soon found his voice. "If you need a minute, that's fine. I'm sure it's okay if we're fashionably late. After all, I get it. You haven't seen the three of them in three years."

"No," I answered. "I have to walk out that door now, even if I'm scared. Otherwise, I'm never going to face them."

He smiled again, and this time, my heart beat a little faster. I felt as if that was supposed to remind me of something, but of course, it wasn't coming to me at all. So I assumed it to be just the anxiety of meeting my friends and walked out the door with one of them.

* * *

It wasn't three o' clock just yet, but as Trevor requested a table for five, I got more and more anxious. I struggled in picking my feet up when the hostess led us to our table. I thought of when we were just teenagers, when I first sat down with all of them at the outside table in Aquacorde to introduce myself. Shauna was the head of the table, and I had sat next to Calem on one side. On the other side, I was facing Trevor, and Tierno sat next to him.

As lucid as the scene was to me, I couldn't mirror that image today. Not when I haven't see them in so long. I asked Trevor to sit beside me instead. He looked at me a little puzzled and agreed, as he must have intended to sit next to me in the first place. Come to think of it, I guess the exact seating arrangements of the first time we all met was not something everyone would bother to remember.

3:01 PM. Where are they?

Trevor saw me staring at the slowly moving clock hands on the other side of the restaurant. "It's alright, Serena," he said, "they still don't know you're here. They've always been fashionably late."

3:05 PM. Trevor started talking to me to calm me down, and I would nod and listen. 3:10 PM. I started talking to him about some of the battles I had before I went on my clothes cleaning spree, trying to divert my eyes from the clock. 3:11-

"Sorry, can you excuse me for a second?" Trevor asked, backing out of his seat. "I'm going to use the restroom real quick. Can you watch my Holo Caster?" I nodded again and watched him leave. The gears in my head started to move in a way I didn't like. Did he want me to answer if someone called him? What if it was one of the friends? What if they hung up the moment they saw my face instead of Trevor's? What if one of them arrived before Trevor got back from the restroom?

I didn't think I could handle seeing them alone. As my rotten luck would have it, the Holo Caster buzzed. I looked at the screen: _Tierno Calling_. I reached to grab the Holo Caster, but chickened out when it buzzed in my hands, dropping it back on the table without thinking. Though it thankfully landed without a scratch, everyone turned to stare. Wow, the Kalos Champion can't even hold a Holo Caster correctly.

The Holo Caster eventually stopped buzzing, and the screen changed to _1 New Message._ Nervously, I pressed _View_ , and an older, almost recognizable Tierno appeared in the hologram.

"Heya, Trev," the hologram began. "I'm so sorry, but I gotta bail on you today." He knew. He must have known I was here. That was the only thing I could think of. At least, I thought that until he continued by saying "I completely forgot I had already made plans with other friends today. But hey, if you plan on getting everyone together again soon, I'll make sure I can clear my schedule! Stay cool!"

The message ended. Even though this Tierno was a little skinnier and no longer sported his black knit hat, he was still the same as before. I really wanted to ask him about how his troupe was going, but it would have had to wait for another time.

Trevor soon returned, and I told him about his missed message and how I was hesitant on answering. He told me not to worry, so at least for a few minutes, I didn't. When he answered the Holo Caster for Calem, I couldn't help but fret. Calem had called to say that he and Shauna could not make it. The redhead looked at me with sympathy. "I... I'm sorry, Serena."

"It's alright," I responded, "I mean, what was I expecting? You're all busy people."

He shook his head. "We might be, but don't give up just yet. We'll just... we'll try again tomorrow, okay?" I nodded, and so the table for five became a table for two.

* * *

I had gotten a little more sleep than the night before. Without the jet lag and the hope for a better chance at seeing my friends the next day, it had been difficult to try and clear my cluttered thoughts at first. The familiar scent of the pillow I rested on was like that of the sweater vest I had borrowed all those years before, and that sense of calmness must have lulled me to sleep.

Instead of letting me catch up on sleep, I was awoken by a knock on the door. "Sorry if you're still sleeping," the voice attached to the aroma said from the other side of the door, "but I have good news." When I failed to respond, Trevor asked, "Is it okay if I open the door?"

I gave him the okay, and a now clean-shaven Trevor entered the room. "I got a call back from Tierno an hour ago," he began as he took a seat on the foot of the bed. "He says he'd like to hang out today, to make up for missing out yesterday."

I started to grin, but the sides of my mouth started to uncurl when I thought...

"I still didn't tell him you were with me, don't worry."

And so the smile reappeared on my face.

"The only thing you should worry about right now is that he's only free very early today. Like, 9:30 early."

There went the smile again. "...What time is it now, Trevor?"

"8:30."

I rolled out of the bed onto the floor, dragging the comforter down and sweeping Trevor off the bed in the process. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?!" I groaned, unintentionally rolling myself into a comforter cocoon.

"I meant to wake you earlier, but I had to get ready, too. He gave me very little notice." I tried to free myself from the cocoon to no avail, and instead of helping, Trevor laughed and said "You look like a Metapod." _Wow_. Friend of the year.

After laughing, he must have knelt beside me to unroll the comforter, as his face was the first thing I saw once my head was free from the cocoon. Hoping he wouldn't notice the redness in my face, I was able to free myself the rest of the way.

"Look, you evolved!" Trevor started laughing even harder. This time, I couldn't help but smile again. "Now you're a Butterfree." Even though I smiled at what he said, I couldn't figure out why my face felt hot. He's just being silly. Must've been the heat from under the comforter.

However, because I didn't react to his joke, I saw his cheeks get a little pink. "Sorry, I'm being weird." He stood up and started to leave the room. "I'll, uh, let you get ready. We're meeting somewhere else today, so we can just eat breakfast there."

"Trevor?" He stopped mid-stepping through the door to turn to me. "Do you really think I'm a Butterfree?"

His face still a little pink, he said, "Actually, I think you'd be a Milotic." Before I realized what that could have implied, he had already shut the door behind him.

* * *

Today we were supposed to meet Tierno at a different restaurant. It was a family-owned breakfast house, and after staring at the sign of business hours outside the building while waiting for Trevor to reserve a table, I learned that it closed every day at noon, except for Sundays, when it closed at 1:00 PM. Trevor tapped me on the shoulder to break the somewhat trancelike state I was in to take a seat at an outside table.

"Do you know if Shauna and Calem are coming along?" I asked, trying to calm myself despite knowing that, in less than fifteen minutes, I would be meeting with Tierno.

Trevor shook his head. "I couldn't get a hold of them. It is pretty early, after all." He rested his head on his hand. "But who knows? If one of them calls back, they could join us. Or at least, we could see them sometime later today."

Time ticked by, and by 9:25, I started getting nervous again. Trevor shifted forward in his seat to rest a hand on mine. "Please don't worry. If anything, Tierno will be the easiest to talk to." I had barely noticed when I first grabbed his hand to help him stand after colliding into him a few days before, but his hand that used to be the same size as mine was now significantly larger. It comforted me, if not embarrassing me, until Trevor removed his palm from the top of mine and looked above my head.

"Hey, Tierno!"

I became stiff. The voice I heard on Trevor's Holo Caster just the day before bellowed a greeting behind me, and I couldn't bring myself to turn around and see. Tierno was here, but not for long. Why hadn't he left even though he clearly saw me there with Trevor?

"Oh! Trevs, you didn't tell me you were bringing someone with you. Your girlfriend?" While Trevor denied the claim, I was surprised to see that Tierno did not recognize me. It's not like I had especially changed; since the last time I saw the three of my friends together, I had my hair cut short enough to let it rest on my shoulders... and then I remembered how I found Tierno initially hard to recognize when seeing his Holo Caster message. A lot can change in three years. _Duh, Serena_.

Tierno walked to the third open seat but stopped after pulling the chair from under the table, having caught a glimpse of my face. "Serena?" he asked. I gave him no answer, as I couldn't form any words. The serious, but not quite stern, look Tierno gave me changed when he turned to Trevor and said "Yeah, definitely not your girlfriend." He then sat down in his chair, and I felt a wave of relief knowing that, at the very least, he wasn't going to run away the moment he saw me.

"Sooo, Lady S, when did you get here?"

I was caught off guard by "Lady S." It was the old nickname that he and Shauna gave me when we first met; I had forgotten it, and even after how I had treated him, he still remembered. I finally managed to speak. "T...two days ago? Though I've been out of Kalos for about three." I was unsure of just how long it had been since I left Kalos.

"I see, I see," Tierno nodded. He was about to say something else when the waitress came back to take our drink orders. However, as soon as he ordered, he started back up again. "Are you just here for a visit, then?"

"Yes. I came to meet with you all again." Tierno opened his mouth, but before he could speak, I continued. "I'm sorry. I really do want to listen to what you have to say, but before that, I needed to let you know that I realized too late that leaving you guys for such a petty reason was wrong." Not even sure that was what he was going to mention, my hands were clamped on my knees and I shook as I kept speaking. "So yes, I'm visiting right now, and I'm not sure for how long. I want to make sure that I can hear what you all have to say to me." I prayed that the waitress would come back soon with the beverages. It didn't take long for my mouth to feel dry while speaking.

Tierno didn't look at me. He looked at Trevor first, who nodded to him, and then, finally, he turned to face me. "I was shocked, Serena. I would've never thought you'd choose what the media said over your friends. I mean, it wasn't right of them to do that to you in the first place, but it felt like one of those touching scenarios in a movie where the hero gives up fame and fortune for their friends." He quickly detected how his analogy didn't work. "You know, except that the hero in this case did the opposite."

As much as I wanted to defend myself, to tell him all about the grief I had locked up for three years, I wanted to hear what he had to say more. Even when the waitress returned with the drinks, Tierno continued on. Trevor had to ask her to give us a minute to read the menu before we ordered any food.

He told me about his anger, how he had felt walking off with Calem, and what a sour taste it left in his mouth for that time period. Shaking, I nodded and listened.

"But once my dance troupe really started getting on its feet, I felt like there was no room in me to really dwell on what you did anymore. I had to move forward, you know?" At that point, he stopped talking and instead looked to me, probably waiting for me to speak.

"I'm so sorry, Tierno," I said, the shakiness in my voice evident. "So sorry. I wish I had never done that."

"I couldn't fester forever," Tierno answered reassuringly. "Water under the bridge, you know?"

"I had tried to forget, but it all came back to me. I tried to call, but whenever I didn't get an answer, I would lose my nerve." Even though Tierno had evidently given me the cue to stop apologizing, I couldn't stop talking. Trevor had to excuse the waitress a second time because no one had even looked at the breakfast menu yet.

Finally, my bad case of word vomit ceased when Tierno cut me off. "Serena, you said you tried to call, right? Oh jeez, I'm so sorry." He took out his Holo Caster. "I thought you had changed your number. Here, let me add you again."

Briefly ignoring that this implied my number had been deleted, I dug my Holo Caster from my purse and gave Tierno my contact information. "I guess we can tell Calem and Shauna I didn't change my contact information too," I said, starting to relax.

Tierno seemed confused. "But they were the ones who told me that you had changed your information."

What?

Suddenly, his expression changed to that of concern. "Oh, that figures. After all, Calem and Shauna were the ones most upset."

"What are you talking about?" Trevor questioned.

"Hold on," Tierno answered, "let's at least look at the menu first." He must have seen the waitress walking towards us for the third time. After ordering, Trevor asked again what Tierno was hinting at.

"I know that the two of them probably have had you on their Holo Casters, but they had told me it must've been new contact information, as you never picked up their calls, right?"

"Actually, I found it was the opposite." I didn't like what Tierno was getting at. "I would call, but never get a response.

"That's what those two told me," Trevor added. "I thought it was weird, too."

"Well, Calem and Shauna were still really mad for a while," Tierno continued. "I could be wrong, but if what you're saying is right, Serena, I think they might've lied to me about your contact info."

They didn't want Trevor _or_ Tierno talking to me?

Trevor was the first to comment. "That's kind of a bold claim."

"I _did_ say that I could be wrong, Trevs." Tierno put a finger on his chin and sat there in thought. "I'm just saying," he proceeded, "they were the ones still verbally upset for a long time. At the same time, it's odd, because you think they'd get over it after three years." I laughed nervously, knowing my actions had still bothered me years later.

"I guess I'll know when I see them," I answered.

Tierno's tone of voice became strangely humorless. "If you need anything, Serena, just let me know. Those two might be harder to reach out to."

Knowing I had already reconciled with two of my friends, however, I felt calmer. If I had been brave enough to come to Sinnoh and speak directly to Trevor _and_ Tierno, surely I could speak to Calem and Shauna, couldn't I?

"Thanks." I thought about when I would get to see them as our breakfast arrived.


	3. Something Borrowed P3

And so that day passed on. We had never heard from Calem or Shauna, but with my newfound bravery, I was able to sleep much easier than yesterday.

Without a knock on the door to do the job, I woke myself up. Curiously, when I stepped out the bedroom door, Trevor was still asleep on the couch. Even if he had no qualms waking me up, I didn't want to bother him. At least, not until Calem's name showed up on his buzzing Holo Caster. Remembering what Tierno had said about Calem and Shauna being harder to speak to gave me no issue with shaking Trevor awake to answer the call.

"What is it, sis..." he mumbled, opening his eyes and looking really shocked to see that it was not his sister that woke him up. His first reaction was to lift the pillow from under his head and cover his reddened face with it.

"Trevor, I'm sorry, Calem was calling you and I couldn't answer-"

Trevor immediately sat up, tossing the pillow from his face. He most likely noticed how I woke up before he did. "How late in the morning is it?"

"Few minutes past seven," I answered. I thought I would've slept in, at least. "But anyway, Calem was calling you, and I couldn't answer it..." I hated having to inconvenience him, but the confidence I had built up apparently faded with the buzz of his Holo Caster.

"That's alright, Serena." He yawned and grabbed the Holo Caster from the coffee table and pushed a few buttons, still trying to keep his eyes open. "Uh, sorry that I don't have breakfast ready or anything, I didn't think you'd beat me waking up..."

I smiled at him. "Why don't I just take care of breakfast today? I'm not that bad a cook..."

"Hello?" A new voice greeted from the Holo Caster.

"Hey, Calem," Trevor said to the hologram. "Sorry I missed your call." I went absolutely silent as the two of them spoke, hoping that I wouldn't accidentally place myself in Calem's range of vision or say something to make him recognize my voice. The two chatted briefly and the stress of not making a sound made me tune out most of their conversation except near the end.

I picked up on Calem saying "Shauna and I want to hang out with you today. When are you free?"

"Any time this afternoon would be great," Trevor answered. "Is it okay if Tierno comes along?"

"That'd be awesome. Can't wait to see you." And with that, the conversation ended, and he set the Holo Caster on the table. I let out a loud sigh of relief, which made half-asleep Trevor jolt. Despite being startled, he turned to me with a faint smile. "Serena, did you get all that?"

"Y-yeah." Somehow, his smile made me feel even more relieved, yet I felt like there was something else I had forgotten. I thought all the voices having faces attached to them was the most I had drilled out of my head from years before, but a new voice resurfaced.

 _"Why did it have to be him?"_

I got the feeling that this was my voice, that I had been talking to someone. But based on recent experience, it was probably a better idea to just let the necessary context appear when it did, and I instead chose to worry about breakfast. He never denied my request to make it, after all, so I wondered what different things Trevor had in the refrigerator to cook.

* * *

Before I started to get that same unnerving feeling I did the past few days, I gave myself a pep talk. "You already made up with Trevor and Tierno," I told myself. "They told me themselves that they aren't upset anymore." All who was left to speak to... was Calem and Shauna. In spite of my best efforts, I again reminded myself of Tierno's claim that those two would be harder to reach out to, and my heart started to pump a little faster.

"You've already come this far," Trevor reassured. "I'm sure it'll work out."

Today, we were going to meet at a park right outside of Jubilife. Unfortunately, Tierno was not able to make it, so I took solace in the children running around happily and the friendly encouragement of my redheaded friend. It would be like the good old days, where we had met at the playground in Kalos... or so I hoped.

We sat at a table and talked for a while until I saw them. In the distance, I saw two figures strolling the sidewalk. One was a tall boy with dark hair, hand in hand with a short, tanned girl. It wasn't rocket science for me to determine that they were, indeed, Calem and Shauna, especially when they were close enough to me to see their faces.

"They're on their way," Trevor said, pointing in their direction. He probably wasn't sure that I already recognized them, but the two were distracted by Trevor's pointing finger. Shauna grinned and elbowed Calem, who ended up cracking a smile of his own. Their smiles weren't quite like the ones from when we were younger; it was like ones you'd give when you recognize a friend whom you've seen recently before.

I couldn't quite place a simile for how their smiles quickly faded or how their eyes squinted. Calem looked almost annoyed. Trevor turned and looked to me with a bewildered face, also unsure of the reaction. What Trevor didn't see upon turning to me was the direct eye contact Shauna and Calem gave me for a mere second. When Calem and Shauna went back to chatting, though, I thought there was still a chance.

The two were soon approaching our table. They got closer. And closer.

But they didn't stop walking.

" _H-hey!_ " Trevor got up from his seat, nearly knocking it backwards. My vision blurred by tears, I could barely see his figure catching up to Calem and Shauna. They stopped briefly, but I only heard Trevor's voice. No other response was given to his questions.

They didn't even speak to him, all because I was there. All because of me.

* * *

The next day, I found myself at the park once again, but this time, it was for what Tierno called a _Super Emergency Lady S Meeting_. As it did not take long for Tierno to get a message from Shauna in disbelief that "snobby Serena" was in Sinnoh, he showed enough concern to rush me and Trevor out of the apartment and at a new table.

"I can't believe that!" Tierno bellowed, pounding a fist onto the table. "Did they _really_ just keep on walking?!"

Trevor nodded. "I tried to stop them, but they wouldn't even say a word."

Shaking his head, Tierno relaxed his fists. "Well, I did say that they would be harder to reach out to, but refusing to talk is ridiculous." Funny he would say that, as I hadn't said a single word in this meeting thus far.

He noticed his remark and looked at me. "You're okay, though, Lady S. I understand that you would be too shocked to speak..."

"No no, I'm alright."

He smiled quickly before returning to the subject at hand. "When Shauna called me, I didn't mention that I had already met up with you. I wasn't sure if it was the right time to."

I couldn't blame him; I didn't want to ruin any possible chance of reconciling with those two. Should Tierno had said he had already met up with me, they might have felt left out of the equation, and who knows? That could've made them even more upset. Apparently, just seeing that I had met up with Trevor was enough for them to brush him off.

The conversation continued like this for a while. We shot out ideas on how to get Calem and Shauna to meet me. An idea Trevor blurted out in particular was to lure them in with designer clothes, and let me tell you, I laughed. I laughed hard, probably the most I had in a while; not necessarily by the suggestion itself, but by the fact that serious Trevor had suggested it. The redness in his face finally made me catch my breath.

It didn't take long to remember that clothes was one of the reasons I was in this predicament, so we all agreed that it was better off treated as a joke suggestion. However, it did bring up the subject of bribery. We laughed more often. It almost felt like it did when I was with all my friends, laughing and traveling together. Well, before I messed it all up, of course.

"It feels like bribery won't work after all," I said, drawing the whole inducement discussion to a close. "How could we just get them to listen? Is there any way to do that without any tricks?"

"Trevor, you could try calling one of them again," Tierno suggested.

Trevor shook his head. "After they saw me yesterday? They probably wouldn't trust me for a while-"

And with that, Trevor's HoloCaster buzzed. He looked at the screen and motioned to Tierno by placing a finger on his lips. Tierno nodded in understanding and turned to me, making a very trying _shhhhhhhh_ gesture.

The hologram appeared from the screen, and Calem showed his face. "Okay," he began, "Not sure why Serena was with you yesterday, but Shauna and I don't like it."

"We want to talk to you," Trevor responded, his face remaining serious. "What you did yesterday was really immature."

"That's why I called you," Calem responded. "We're both wanting to talk. However, we decided to set up our own terms. You know, so there's no more funny business."

* * *

The terms that the two agreed on beforehand were presented to Tierno and Trevor while I sat away from Calem's field of vision. The two wanted to talk to Tierno and Trevor, yes, but _only_ them. They don't want me anywhere in the picture. And when you think about it, your friends gathering together to talk about you _without_ _you_ is awfully troubling.

However, the reasoning Calem gave is that he and Shauna want an honest opinion. They want to make sure that I've really changed since the clothing incident, and if I were sitting there, they could potentially change their thoughts as to not hurt my feelings. I guess that makes sense.

They planned to meet the day after he called at a different restaurant than any of the ones I'd been to so far. There, they would discuss everything. Of course, Trevor wasn't quite sure what to say to console me after this HoloCaster call, but I told him that I understood. After all, it could be one step closer to being able to reach out to them.

The next day, Trevor woke me up to make breakfast, as he'd be leaving before noon to meet up with Tierno before seeing Shauna and Calem. It was Nanab berry pancakes again; they were really starting to grow on me. Knowing that I'd be alone in Sinnoh today instead of with Trevor made the usually delicious pancakes taste a little less sweet.

"Hey, Trevor?"

He stopped putting on his coat to turn around, and his eyes went from my own eyes to my plate. "You've barely touched your pancakes. Are you still worried?"

"...I'm just not hungry." I got embarrassed, and ended up calling to him without thinking. I knew he was walking out the door soon, and I didn't want that at all. After looking worried himself, he went back to putting on his coat.

"Before you go," I added, waiting for him to look up again, "what's the name of the restaurant you're going to?"

Trevor scrunched his eyebrows in thought. "Jubilife Java," he answered. "I think that's the name of the place. Not really much of a restaurant, 'cause it's mostly coffee." After answering, he looked a little staid. "...You weren't planning on sneaking behind me and Tierno, were you?"

I couldn't honestly answer against the idea.

"Serena, we're going to try really hard to convince them to speak to you." He picked up his bag. "I don't like how they won't see you today, but if it works out, they'll definitely see you tomorrow." He slipped his feet into his shoes. These talk of days made me wonder just how long it had been since I had arrived in Sinnoh, and it certainly didn't make me worry less.

At this point, nothing I could say would keep him from moving out the door. I'd just have to try to believe him that it would all work out and I could reconcile with Calem and Shauna once more.

Before he went out the door, he stopped, as if he were forgetting something. He swiftly approached me. Before I could ask him what was wrong, he pat my head and nodded.

"Definitely a Milotic," he whispered. It took no time for his cheeks to turn pink. "S-sorry. You just seemed bothered, still. I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Mm."

He hurried out the door. I turned to a mirror hanging in the living room and noticed my cheeks were just as pink as his had been.

* * *

Afraid of potentially messing things up again, I decided to do what was right and stay alone and bored in Trevor's apartment. An hour had passed and I awoke from a nap due to my roaring stomach. Unsure of whether or not raiding the fridge was an excusable offense, I re-decided that, since I was already borrowing his apartment without paying rent, I might as well buy my own food.

Since I had no idea where in Jubilife this coffee place was, I would do my best to avoid it, should I ever see it from far away. Instead, I followed the pathway that would lead me to the first restaurant I came to in Sinnoh, and as much as I would love a second breakfast, the breakfast restaurant was closed by noon that day.

I was more in the mood for food that I could grab quickly so I could return to the apartment, but most of the restaurants I walked by were all dine-in. I saw a place up ahead where people exited with carryout bags, and I started ahead to check it out.

That is, until I saw a sign reading "Jubilife Java." About to turn around to find someplace else, I picked up on Tierno's voice. Before I knew it, I was hiding across the street on a bench, cleverly hidden behind long, leafy potted plants.

"Are you sure she's changed?" said a female voice; no doubt that it was Shauna. Her voice was just a tad deeper that it had been before my royal screwup.

Tierno started speaking again. "She really has. She apologized for how she acted to me and Trevor, and was really sincere. Serena really wants to talk to you guys, too."

A deeper male voice immediately joined in, and it was definitely Calem's. "Can you agree with that, Trevor?"

"Absolutely," he answered. "She apologized a lot. She told me all about trying to make up with everyone when she first got here."

"And... when did she get here?" Shauna asked.

There was a pause. "Six days ago?"

 _Six days ago?!_ Had I really been out of Kalos for six whole days? The sudden realization hit me hard. I should've been keeping up with time. It was too soon for me to arrange for a plane to leave, and frankly, I didn't _want_ to leave until I could be friends with _all_ of my friends. All that was waiting for me in Kalos were my mother, my Champion position, and clothes that weren't all that important to me anymore.

Instead, I hoped things were going to work out, and I could speak with them tomorrow. So long as I ask for an extra day of leave, it would work. Tuning back into the conversation, it looked as if that would not be the case.

There was a tenseness in Calem's voice. "So you're saying that Serena has been rooming with you?"

"Only until she leaves for Kalos again."

"Huh! Figures that she didn't even _PLAN_ on staying," Shauna hissed.

Tierno tried to combat Shauna's comment, but Trevor spoke over both of them. "In her defense, she came back to give me back my sweater vest from a while back, at first."

The sound of hands slamming against a table was cause for concern. I peeked through a gap in the leaves and saw Trevor calmly looking at Calem, whose hands were both on the table.

"Trevor, don't you get it?" Calem's palms curled into fists. "Serena's using you!"

"How so?" Trevor asked, obviously incredulous.

Calem groaned. "You idiot. She must've known how nice a guy you are. _Obviously_ she's taking advantage of the fact you're in love with her, right?"

" _Why did it have to be him?"_

"W-what?!" he yelled, his face flushed red. "Where does that even come into play?! Why are you refusing to listen to reason? She'd never use anyone!"

" _He'll never feel the same way about me."_

"Trevor," interjected Tierno, "Calm down."

I didn't hear anything else they had said. I tried to get up and walk away without being noticed, and I must have succeeded, as I didn't hear any of them call out to me. Either that, or I had managed to tune all of them out.

" _Why did I..."_

More than any hunger pangs, more than headaches from recalling clips and phrases... my heart hurt more than anything. I managed to make it back to the apartment, shut the door, and walk to the sofa before I came to terms with the fact that something else had happened besides the clothing incident that I tried to push out of my head.

" _Why..."_

I collapsed into tears on the sofa.

" _Why did I fall in love with Trevor?"_


	4. Something Borrowed P4

_"Calm down, Serena. What happened?"_

Back when he was still talking to me, Calem had listened to me get all of my jumbled feelings out in the open. I wonder if he had gradually lost patience or if it had just suddenly vanished the day I betrayed everyone. Though, I guess after falling on the sofa, my mind went back much further than that day.

It had been a warm spring day when I came to the conclusion that I had fallen in love. More specifically, I had done so with the smart boy who didn't even reach my shoulders. I had no idea when it happened, but all I knew was that I had to talk to someone about it. Why did I fall in love with Trevor? You'd think it'd be some supermodel like the magazines would claim, but _Trevor_?

 _"Is that all?"_ Calem laughed. _"You had me worried that it was something serious."_

After I complained to him that it _was_ serious, Calem only laughed again.

 _"Look, Serena,"_ he began, " _these things just happen. It happens unexpectedly, sometimes the moment you meet someone, or sometimes gradually."_ I remember how stunned he looked when he accidentally revealed that him liking Shauna was gradual- then it was my turn to laugh while Calem made me pinky promise not to tell.

And I never did. Even if I had, I don't think it would have hurt anything. Looking back on this, I'm not sure if he was sworn to secrecy with Trevor. How long had Trevor loved me, too? Did he even love me? For all I know, Calem could have just been being facetious.

Most importantly, I tried to think of how I was even able to block out my own feelings for so long. I remembered the pain when all my friends turned their back on me, but something about Trevor's silence made my heart ache to recall. I guess at the time, a part of me believed that even if everyone else had left, Trevor wouldn't.

That's a funny thing about love, too. Even though I ached to see my closest friends turn around, the one I was farthest from hurt me the most.

* * *

Recalling all of this was exhausting, so I started to slowly drift into sleep. That is, until I heard the sound of the shaking doorknob. _Oh no_. Why was Trevor back already?

There was no way I could face him then. All I could think about was how I was still apparently in love with him, and casually bringing that up at this time was not an ideal thing. Thus, I nearly fell off the sofa and scrambled to his room when a voice I didn't expect chimed through the door.

"Helloooo, Lady S? It's me, Tierno!"

 _PHEW._

I let go of the doorknob and turned to face him. Before I could even say hello, he sprinted over to me and... stared at me. After a moment of this uncomfortable staring, he asked, "Were you crying?"

"I... well..."

"Did... did you hear what Calem said?" Even though his tone of voice changed, his eyes were still full of worry. "I thought I saw you across the street from the restaurant, but I wasn't sure..."

I could feel myself break out in a sweat. If Tierno had seen me, surely everyone else had. I tried to mutter an apology, but I felt a lump in my throat. "I-I'm sorry," I tried, "I really just wanted to get something to eat. I didn't mean to overhear..."

My words started to jumble out of anxiety until Tierno shook me out of it. "Serena, Serena! I'm certain I was the only one who saw you. I left to make sure it was you that I saw, but I'm pretty sure Trevor's still there with them. Really, it's..." His sentence disintegrated, and he was back to just staring at me again. This time, it was more quizzical than out of concern. "Why is your face so red?"

 _How embarrassing._ Somehow, the mention of his name was enough to make me turn into a tomato...

"Is it because he said you were using Trevor?"

I shook my head.

"Because... _OH._ Because Trevor's in lo-"

"Please don't say it," I begged, shaking my head nervously. "I had no idea, I..."

My friend gently placed his hands on my shoulders and didn't break his eyes away. "I know you weren't using anyone, so you don't need to apologize. Even after what happened all those years ago, Trevor and I still felt you had your reasons for doing what you did." He smiled at me, shaking me slightly. "Using people? That's laughable."

"No, t-that's... not why I'm upset right now."

Tierno looked puzzled. "Then why?"

"Well," I began nervously, "I had forgotten somehow, but... "

Tierno tilted his head, obviously having no clue what I was struggling to say.

"Arceus! I forgot that _I'm in love with Trevor!"_

In frustration, I just blurted it all out. Tierno's hands flew away from my shoulders and cupped against his mouth to unsuccessfully stifle his laugh. Between chuckles, he snorted, "None of us had any idea! Wow, oh man..."

"No," I interrupted, "Calem did."

The smiles faded. "But then... he's trying to mislead Trevs? Even though he knows that you..."

That was one of the many things that I thought of when I tried to sleep off my heartache. I remembered that Calem was the only one I ever told.

 _"Why did it have to be him, Calem?"_ I had asked, not really expecting an answer. _"I could've fallen for someone more... well, not Trevor."_

He had laughed at me again and said, _"I guess that means I'm not telling him this, huh?"_

Trying to shake it off, I smiled at Tierno weakly. "Well, at least Calem really didn't tell anyone after all." Instead of an answer, Tierno looked behind him, near the door. "What's wron-"

"Trevor's probably on his way back home now. They were nearing the end of their conversation before I left." The sound of a door being unlocked proved his theory. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna tell him, either."

As the door opened, I fought the urge to lock myself in Trevor's bedroom when he entered the apartment with a smile on his face. "Hey, Serena, I'm back. They were a little hard to talk to today." With a laugh, he added, "Believe me, Tierno knows."

Tierno nodded and turned around, completely covering me and my red face. "What happened while I was gone, buddy?"

Trevor smiled wider. "They want to talk to Serena tomorrow."

* * *

Somehow I had been able to go through the rest of the night not blurting out that I had heard the conversation at the restaurant. Trevor constantly showing concern whenever my face reddened certainly didn't help things, but I managed to make it through.

Calem and Shauna were going to meet us at the park once more; this time, including me. I wasn't sure just how much they would listen, but actually wanting to talk to me was a step up from yesterday. I thanked Trevor for speaking to them, and that was just about as much conversation I could have with him before I felt my heart was going to burst from keeping my feelings to myself.

All the thoughts whirring around in my head made it hard to go to sleep, but I tried my hardest to fight it off. Eventually, I was able to fall into a nice dream, one where I've made up with everyone. One where we're all together, enjoying each others' company like we had before.

This was a dream that I could've slept in the following morning to continue, but the ringing Holo Caster on the bedside table made all my smiling friends disappear in an instant. Still half asleep, I reached for the ringing device and accidentally knocked it off the table- quite loudly, in fact, that I woke up completely. That sure got it to stop ringing.

Yawning, I reached to grab it off the floor. Now that I was more awake, I worried a little more about who could have been calling. It could've been Calem or Shauna, even, though I have no idea why they would try and contact me at four in the morning. Either it was really important, or they forgot I was no longer running in Kalos time.

Well... I was sort of right. Picking the Holo Caster off the ground, I waited to see the notification for a new message, and once _1 New Message_ finally appeared, I pressed _View_ , expecting some sort of crucial message from one of my two friends.

Instead, the Elite Four member, Drasna, appeared before me with a sober feel in her eyes, almost a glare. "I don't know what you have been doing without contacting us," she started, "but you gave us your word that we could do whatever we liked had you not been back to fulfill your Champion role in a week."

I was baffled. It was only a week! Did I really only agree to be gone for a week?

Absentmindedly, I began to raise my voice. " _Seriously?_ How could I possibly patch up all my broken friendships in the span of a week?!"

Having forgotten that this was a recorded message, the unsmiling Drasna paid no heed to my question. "It has been eight days, and you've given us no updates nor any indication of your return. The queue of trainers waiting on you has grown at an alarming rate, and it doesn't appear that we can count on you coming back if you can't even alert us."

"Please," I begged to the hologram, "I swear I was going to call, I forgot! Just some more time-"

Still, her message continued in a direction I did not like. "Thus, it is with a heavy heart..."

" _Tauros crap!_ You don't look like you care _at all!_ "

"...that your title be handed over to Diantha, effective immediately-"

In a panic, I flung the device out of my hand and heard it loudly clunk onto the hardwood floor. The message cut off unnaturally, and that didn't seem to be a good sign... Holo Casters cost a pretty Pokepoint, after all. Reaching to get it, I failed to notice that, in the darkness of the room, most of my bed sheet was lying on the floor next to the bed. I definitely noticed once I slipped on it.

Before I knew it, I was on the ground with a louder thud than the Holo Caster. Not too long after, the door swung open. There was Trevor, with that look of concern that always made me a little embarrassed... but not this time. This time, he looked more frightened.

"What happened?!"

I was utterly confused, at first, but then I considered that for the past few minutes, I had been shouting at a recorded message and chucked a solid object onto the floor. To top it off, I accidentally slammed myself on the floor along with it.

When I failed to respond, he ran over to me, and that's when my cheeks started to burn near him once more. It was the least of my worries once he sat in front of me and helped sit me up on the floor, as my left arm suddenly felt a surge of great pain in his grip.

"That hurts," I winced.

Trevor released both of his hands from me. "I-I'm sorry. What hurts? Arm? Leg?"

I wasn't sure if my fall was enough to injure me, but nothing hurt beyond a dull pain except for my left arm. Even lifting my arm from my side to show him brought the sharp pain back.

"Oh, so it's this arm," he said, this time gently resting my arm in his hand. "Did you fall off the bed?"

I shook my head. "I went to pick up the Holo Caster, but the bed sheet was on the floor, and it was too dark in here for me to see it..."

"Slipping, then... Did you land on this arm?"

I shrugged, but Trevor examined my arm once more, and his slightly tighter grip made it hurt much worse. " _Ow ow ow ow!_ "

"I'm sorry. I'm trying to make sure you didn't break it."

I gulped. Did I seriously break my arm just from slipping on a sheet?! He calmly looked at my arm for another minute. Trying not to cry from the soreness, I assumed he knew more about this stuff than I did.

"Well, nothing's out of place..." He looked up at me. "I've broken my arm a few times when I was younger, so I guess I know a little bit..."

Another thing I had forgotten. Sometimes, Trevor got too carried away looking for Pokemon he hadn't seen before. There was one time, I remember now, how he had slipped and fell off a ledge when he was chasing after a Pikachu. He told us all about it once he showed up at our meeting place in Aquacorde wearing an arm cast.

"Even so, I'm no doctor." He stood up, offering a hand. When I didn't take it, he instead lifted me off the ground himself. "There's an emergency room fifteen minutes from here. Better safe than sorry."

* * *

On the way to the emergency room, I had told Trevor all about losing my position as Champion. "You should've contacted them," he said in that matter-of-fact way of his. It made me think for a bit. Of all the things I had cried about since I arrived in Sinnoh, I thought that having lost Champion status so unceremoniously would've been a real tear jerker. However, in this fiasco, I never shed a single tear about anything that happened at four AM other than my arm.

It was as if it no longer mattered. Among worrying about making up with my old friends, Trevor's hospitality and... well, beating around the bush on telling Trevor a little more about how I feel, the loss of my title felt unexpectedly insignificant. It felt like it wasn't even a loss at all.

Thankfully enough, somebody had been able to see us quickly after we had arrived at the emergency room. I was asked to back-track what had happened, and was able to recall when I slipped. I ended up slipping onto my side, and my arm was the first part of me that landed on the ground, so it took most of the force. After the doctor chuckled at me slipping over a bed sheet, I had to endure the pain of my arm being grabbed once more. Because of the impact of the fall, I had an incomplete fracture in my arm, and got put into a cast.

The doctor recommended I wait before getting back on the plane to Kalos, and when I didn't give much of a response, Trevor asked when I intended on going back. I wasn't so sure, myself; after all, it was just my mom that I would be going back to.

The only real time I was bothered by the Champion issue was when the TVs in the waiting room began to report Diantha's sudden return to the Pokemon League. Apparently, she had been in mid-movie production, and once the news reporters started to turn blame onto me, I urged Trevor to let us leave sooner.

It was a while before we came back to Trevor's apartment, perhaps six-thirty or seven in the morning, and we noticed Tierno's car in the driveway. When I asked about it, Trevor shrugged, claiming that he didn't tell Tierno to come this early. Heading up the stairs, Trevor looked around, and once we arrived at his door, we were both surprised to not find Tierno anywhere in sight.

"I don't understand." Trevor turned towards me. "If Tierno's here, where is h-"

"Shh." I pat Trevor on the shoulder slightly, and he stopped talking. In the silence, we both heard the sound of a television coming from the inside. "Trevor... did you leave the TV on before we left?"

"No."

I must have been mimicking his worried look. "Did you lock the door?"

There was a look of realization on his face, followed by exasperation. With a grunt, Trevor twisted the doorknob, and it came open without a struggle. "Tierno, why didn't you call me fir-"

When his sentence cut off, I hurried inside to see what was happening. There was Tierno, which was somewhat of a relief, but I soon noticed what made Trevor stop in his tracks.

I, too, froze when I saw Calem and Shauna looking straight at me from the couch.


	5. Something Borrowed P5

At the time, I was feeling a lot of different things. Shock from seeing the three of my friends in Trevor's home, yes. There was also that twinge of embarrassment that I was still in my pajamas while everyone else was dressed, but I was mostly swallowing my gut feeling of dread.

The room would have been silent if not for the buzzing of the TV, which Shauna had muted upon my entrance. She looked at Calem and nodded.

"Uh... hi, Serena," croaked Calem. For the first time in a while, he didn't look _as_ upset to see me as he had before. "As much as I wanna interrogate you, since... that's what we came here for, and _especially_ since we found out you had been living here for the past week-"

Shauna elbowed him in the side mid-sentence. "What he's TRYIN' to say is, we were gonna do all that until Tierny turned on the TV. We really think you should have a look-see."

I most certainly did not want to have a look-see, but if it would make them listen to me, I headed towards the sofa and leaned over, tuning in as the television was unmuted. That gut feeling of dread came back.

A blond news anchor with a smile on her face became audible. _"...this is news we're getting as it's happening, folks. Former Kalos Champion Diantha has reclaimed her position as Champion once more."_ Before I could explain, Shauna nudged me to be quiet.

 _"So I hear that Diantha didn't do any battling to reclaim this position, is that right?"_

The anchor's friend sitting adjacently responded with a grin. _"No, Dani, it appears that she re-inherited the throne."_

 _"Re-inherited?"_ the blond asked with a laugh.

 _"Yes. The former champion, Serena, took a leave to Sinnoh without prior warning and didn't come back in time. Now, can you say flaky or what?"_

The smiling and jeering of the reporters slowly tearing me apart on air brought me back to when I had just been Champion for a year. I wonder if Calem and Shauna could feel how uncomfortable I was in that moment, as the reporters started to compare Diantha's grace and appearance to mine. How much more responsible and beautiful Diantha was, as if beauty was really a decisive factor in competence. How Diantha was a much better candidate for the position in the first place.

Maybe I deserved this, I thought. Maybe I needed to relive this again. Even if that was the case, I found it a little cruel to have to sit and watch this happening again.

What I didn't expect was for Shauna to turn off the TV.

The pigtailed girl turned to me and said, "Looks like the press follows you everywhere, even to a new region."

"Did you really give up your title just to talk to us?" Calem asked.

"I... I guess I did." Yeah, I'm sure of it. I had been thinking about trying to gain courage and make up with everyone that I had forgotten about going back to Kalos. There was a part of me that didn't want to go back, and that part just kept getting bigger and bigger.

Shauna grasped my hand in hers. "Serena, we shouldn't have acted that way. We should've talked to you." She stopped looking at me, shaking slightly. "We shouldn't have waited until something like this happened..."

I felt my eyes growing wet, too, and could only mutter, "Please don't cry."

"We've been watching this for about an hour," Calem added. "They're really relentless. Is this what it had been like when you first started out?"

I shook my head, but then I wondered about it. I know that I wasn't as bothered by it in the beginning, but was it really this bad even when I first became Champion? I supposed it didn't matter then, as my larger concern was keeping Shauna from crying.

Shauna looked down. "I hate it, but I still can't help but feel angry, Serena." Her eyes full of sorrow would no longer look at me. "I wish you had stood up for us back then."

"You're right," I assured, "I should have."

"We're still upset, is what she's trying to say," Calem added, elbowing Shauna. She didn't appreciate the gesture and shot him a death glare. Something about the scenario was reminiscent of us when we were younger, and I had to fight back the urge to laugh. It wasn't that hard to fight once I noted Calem and Shauna being angry.

"We may still be upset, but we do want to listen to you now. It must not have been easy with the reporters, so... let us understand what was going on better before we judge." Calem blinked back a tear. "Sorry for being so stubborn."

Words starting pouring out of my mouth from that point, and Calem and Shauna sat on the couch and listened to me intently, nodding along with my explanations. I went from detailing what had happened to going through my feelings, my thoughts in my head at the time as each one came along.

* * *

I stayed for at least another week because of my arm. In the meantime, I searched for a place that could repair my cracked Holo Caster, but got incredibly frustrated over everyone only specializing in Poketch repair. What did it take to get a hologram communicator fixed?

"Let me fix it," Calem offered as soon as I brought it up. He and Shauna had not completely forgiven me, but this seemed to be a step up. Unfortunately, the best "fixing" he could do was sticking duct tape on the crack and snorting like a Tepig.

Working with the Holo Caster must have reminded him of something, as he shuffled into his bag to find his own communicator. "I'm going to need your contact information," he said. "You know, in case you break your Holo Caster again."

* * *

After Calem's "well sought-after" help with the Holo Caster, I did a little more looking around. I had to start cycling through my clothes, and it felt a bit weird. I guess it would, since I hadn't done it in a long time. I mean, wearing older clothes? How _strange_ , right?

Just kidding. What _was_ strange was having to wonder why I had packed my old outfit that I wore first starting out my journey. It felt juvenile, in fact, even though I had been a teenager just a few years ago. It took me some time to get the shirt on with my arm cast, but somehow, I managed it.

When I went out with my friends again, Tierno laughed. "You look almost the same as when we first started our journey!" Tierno looked embarrassed when Trevor pointed at my arm cast.

"I did say _almost_ the same," he added with his usual hearty laugh. We were going to go to the park once more, and it was the first time that I had felt anything but anxious since I had been in Sinnoh. I got to tell Shauna about the outfit I planned on giving to her before I left Kalos, and she laughed, having to stop for breath when she saw all the work Calem had done on my Holo Caster. For once, I was truly convinced that we would all be friends again.

* * *

It couldn't last long, of course; my mom called and _flipped_ when she found out I had fractured my arm. Once she cooled down, she asked me when I would be coming home.

I had been wrestling with the thought of what I would be doing once my arm healed, as my mother was the only thing I really missed from Kalos. Days before Mom called to ask me what I was doing, I had come to a conclusion... it was just proposing this conclusion to my mom that worried me.

A hand on my shoulder made me jump, and I turned to find Trevor, who nodded his head at me. "Just tell her. You'll never know if you don't."

" _Who is that?_ " Mom asked. I didn't realize that Trevor wasn't in her peripheral vision, and I turned the Holo Caster on him.

My mom was beaming. "Oh my goodness, is that you, Trevor? You've grown up so much!" I couldn't help but find it really funny how shyly Trevor took my mom's compliments.

"Well, Serena really has something she wants to tell you," he answered, turning the Holo Caster back on me. _Great_. Mom encouraged me to say whatever was on my mind, so I had to forget my fear and open my mouth.

"H-how would you feel about us moving to Sinnoh?"

She tilted her head. "Is this because of the press, Serena? I don't like what they're saying, either, but moving away on such short notice..."

"It doesn't have to be right away," I added. "Though I would love that. There's just so many nice things in Sinnoh, and my friends are here... It's just you that isn't, you know."

"Well, Serena..." Mom shook her head. "While I appreciate you asking my permission, you're an adult, so if you really feel that you'd want to move to Sinnoh, you can."

I shook my head in turn. "You don't understand, I want you to come, too. You're the only piece of Kalos I want to take with me!"

Mom looked at me for a while without saying anything. That was never a good sign. "Once that arm heals up, you need to come home. We can't move until you do something about all of those clothes."

Trevor and I looked at each other, then I looked back at my mom. "Does that mean we can move?" A tear welled up in my eye as my mom smiled back at me.

* * *

Months ahead of that time, Mom and I had finally found an available home in Jubilife City. We wanted to go smaller, since I was an adult who would eventually find my own place to live... and perhaps I would be less likely to drown the house in clothes again.

In the time we waited for the moving truck to arrive at our house, we stayed in a hotel. Trevor offered to let us stay again, but Mom was too kind to accept. I had to stop Trevor before he added that I had already stayed in his apartment before, and in the end, we were only out of the house for a couple of days.

The dread of loading everything into boxes came back to bite me upon seeing all of them waiting to be unloaded. Once the truck opened to reveal a mountain of boxes, Mom gave me a look.

I whimpered. "I swear _most_ of those aren't my clothes..."

* * *

The move could have certainly been worse, but Mom and I were surprised to find Tierno, Calem, Shauna and Trevor headed towards our house, eager to help.

Most of the work they did was helping us bring boxes into the house. I guess we were to worry about unloading them at a different time, but I couldn't help but be curious to see what I had packed. I found the clothes that had reminded me of my friends before and showed them off. Shauna encouraged me to model them, which I, of course, denied.

"Things almost feel back to normal, now," I said after everyone shared a laugh.

Shauna looked really confused at my remark. "Almost?"

I looked down at my feet. "I mean, I think I've been gradually forgiven over time... right?"

Shauna eyes darted to Calem, who looked right back at her in shock. Shauna was red in the face. "I am SO sorry, Serena! We actually forgave you a while ago..."

"I guess we never actually said it out loud," Calem winced. "I swear we had, but since hanging out together started feeling natural, I assumed that even if we hadn't, it would've been understood."

I shook my head. "You would have to beat it into my head before I understood that."

What _was_ understood was that the attempt to get me to model clothes and this wave of forgiveness made everyone realize they wanted a break. We all sat around in a circle and talked before my mom came in, asking who wanted to go pick up lunch.

"You all go ahead," Trevor insisted, "I can keep working."

"Such a hard worker," Tierno grinned. "I guess everyone else will be going, too!"

Calem, Shauna, and Tierno stood up from the circle to leave. As I stood myself up, Calem placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You wouldn't leave him to carry boxes all by himself, would you?" he asked.

"Wait. You mean to tell me that _all_ of you are going except for us?"

"Yup! For about... twenty-seven minutes, give or take," Shauna said. "So you two work hard!"

Confused by everyone else leaving and Shauna's strange approximated time, it wasn't until Tierno winked at me before shutting the door behind everyone that I figured out what was going on.

It was time.

The memories of Calem and Trevor's argument, mixed with my reaction of finding out that I was in love started beating at my brain just by looking at Trevor. Twenty-seven minutes... that should be enough time to gather my courage, right?

Fifteen minutes of me and Trevor silently bringing more boxes into the house sure made it feel otherwise. I had to say _something_. It shouldn't be as hard as I'm making it out to be, I thought. After all, if Calem was right, Trevor's in love with me, too.

That recollection embarrassed me enough for me to thoughtlessly drop my box onto the floor. Trevor immediately set his box down to run to me.

"Are you alright?! Did it fall on your foot?" Most likely concerned when he didn't receive a response, Trevor moved my hair out of my face, backing away slightly when he noticed that it was tomato red.

"Serena, does something hurt? I'll carry this box for you." Without waiting for a response, he lifted the box from the ground. "Seriously, I can't believe they left us here to do all the work. You've worked especially hard, you know."

Still no response.

"...You know, when you were showing everyone else clothes you found that reminded them of you, I couldn't help but notice that you didn't pick out anything about me." I couldn't believe it... serious Trevor was pouting. I never thought I'd see Trevor pout before now, but it was funny enough for me to calm down.

"That's because I had your vest," I finally answered. "We're talking about something borrowed versus something only similar to your style..."

Trevor laughed again. "You think I have style?"

"Absolutely."

"Well, I still think you're like a Milotic." That statement made my face go red all over again. Disregarding it, he continued. "Say, Serena," he began again, "why did you hang on to the vest for so long?"

"...It reminded me of you," I answered. "After I kinda split from the friend group. It was as if you were still there, at least."

Even though he turned around to pick up a new box, I could still barely see Trevor's ears redden. "Sounds... like it was important."

"It helped me to finally get the courage to come here and apologize to everyone," I added, "so yeah, I guess it was really important to me." I thought for a moment, then shook my head. "No, that's not why it was important to me, it's... um..."

Trevor's ears returned to a normal color, yet he still seemed surprised. "I think you did that all on your own, Serena. Something borrowed might have helped, but you probably didn't need it."

He tilted his head when I didn't make a comment. I was trying to swallow the lump in my throat that kept me from saying what I really did want to say. As I was about to open my mouth...

"Serena, can I tell you something?"

My mind told me no. My mind begged and pleaded for me to refuse him a word, because if I allowed him to speak, I might never get what I want to say off my chest. Instead, my mouth said "Go ahead."

Trevor's hands were clamped to the box. After a moment, he turned around to face me. "Well, I'm not sure how to say this, but... when I saw you again, when you first ran into me in Jubilife City..." He laughed before adding, "when you literally ran into me, I mean... I was really happy to see you."

He nodded to himself, but his wobbly smile faded away. "Actually, um, I think I was more relieved. Calem and them say you've changed, and I'd have to say that I noticed a change, too. I think it was that you finally found your voice. Figured out what was important, you know?"

Trevor looked down and shuffled his feet as if he wanted to say something. This was a commonplace thing for younger, shy Trevor, and it was a little interesting to see that he still had that habit.

"What I want to say is, uh, I think you've gotten stronger, and... when I was younger, I looked up to you as Trainer and friend. And now, well, that hasn't changed, except for..."

"I can't take this anymore!" I said, shooting up from the ground. He looked shocked, almost uncertain of whether or not to keep his eye contact. "Look at me, Trevor, please."

When he complied, I couldn't find any other way to say it than blurting it out. "Arceus, Trevor, _I'm in love with you!_ "

Suddenly, his box dropped to the floor with a loud thud. The stuttering Trevor, face probably as red as mine, blurted in return. "You're in _WHAT_ with _WHO_?!"

"I'm in _LOVE_ with _YOU_!" Somehow, it turned into a shouting match. "And I _HAVE BEEN FOR A WHILE_!"

"REALLY?!" Trevor asked, before cupping a hand to his mouth. He never was a shouter. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell, I just... that was bewildering, Serena. I never knew you were in love with me, too."

Now it was my turn to shuffle my feet. "...I got a tip from Calem, but I wasn't sure if he was being truthful or not."

He didn't seem bothered by that. In fact, Trevor was so shocked that he had to sit on the box he dropped for a moment. He propped his head with his hand and laughed. He looked up at me with the widest, cutest smile one could imagine. "Sorry, I probably look really goofy."

He was able to stand himself back up, and my heart started to pound when he approached me. I wasn't sure if I could even meet his eyes, but my hands were held in his clammy palms, and I just had to look up at him.

"I love you too, Serena," he said, his smile clearly not going anywhere. "I'm just so happy right now..." I felt my heart beat getting faster and faster the longer I looked into his eyes. Suddenly, I found myself moving closer towards him, and the eyes I stared into disappeared once mine closed.

My heart nearly stopped when I heard the door swing open. Shauna strode in with a bored look on her face. As we broke apart from each other, Shauna took a look around the messy room. "Woo~w, you guys got NOTHING done," she loudly noted.

I wanted to be upset, but I couldn't bring myself to be. I made up with my friends, I'm away from Kalos, and something borrowed helped me realize what was important. So... I would let the rude interruption slide. Well, I would have, except Tierno's remark that they had left us _FOR A WHILE!_ earned him an empty box to the gut.

But I can say this... thanks to something borrowed, it was the start of something new.


End file.
